What are the Best Headphones for Podcasting?

Having quality audio is important for anything related to recording. Podcasting is no exception. These headphones could be used for listening to yourself and guests in real-time or they could be what you use for editing the podcast after the fact. 

No matter how you use them, having the best headphones for podcasting will improve your show immensely. 

What to Look for in Podcasting Headphones

Now that you’ve determined that you need to upgrade your headphones, here are some of the important factors to consider when picking them. 

Quality

Having quality headphones can mean 1 of 2 things: quality sound and quality craftsmanship. Quality sound is always important, and you will find that different companies have better results than others for certain types of sound. If you get the chance, try out different styles and companies to see what you prefer. 

The craftsmanship is another important aspect of headphones. Having a plastic build can feel flimsy and prone to breaking. This is not always the case but having a metal frame does feel a lot better. Just remember to take care of your headphones and you’ll never have any issues. 

Comfort

Almost every pair of headphones available on the market are adjustable in some way. Most of the time, it’s the band that is adjusted to fit the width of your head better. Other times you can adjust the ear cups. 

No matter how customizable the headphones are for you, you need to know that you can comfortably wear them for a few hours uninterrupted when you are recording and editing. 

Closed Back

The 2 primary types of over-ear headphones are open-backed and closed-back. Open-backed headphones are great for mixing audio and music because they give you an honest representation of sounds because the frequencies aren’t being trapped in the ear cup against your ears. 

Closed-back headphones are the best option for any sort of recording because they trap the signal inside the headphones and don’t allow nearly as much signal bleed. This will give you a cleaner recording to work with. 

Connection

If you are using any sort of audio interface, generally the headphone out is a ¼-inch port instead of the standard headphone cable ⅛-inch connection. 

To work around this, headphones companies will usually include a ⅛-inch to ¼-inch adapter. One of those adapters is always a helpful thing to have just in case, even if your setup does not require it. 

Length

Recently, companies have started including either extra-long headphones cables or interchangeable cables so you can extend your reach as far as needed. If the headphones you get do not have the length you need, you can find headphone extension cables for dirt cheap. 

The Best Podcasting Headphones

With these important factors in mind, here are choices for some of the best podcasting headphones out there.

As far as Sennheiser headphones are concerned, they are all able to deliver for their price point. However, the HD 300 Pro headphones are some of the best you can find in both sturdiness and sound quality. You can even find these headphones used on popular podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience. 

Pros:

• Comfortable padding
• Ambient noise attenuation
• Foldable for convenient storage

Cons:

• Only 1 length cable

Best for: Professional standards

Pricing: $199.95

Status Audio CB-1

The amazing quality of Status Audio is above and beyond its price point. Status products offer a certain clarity, especially the CB-1. The drivers are optimal for listening to and mixing the human voice because of the detailed response that comes in it.

Pros:

• Mid-range clarity
• Changeable cable 
• Metal frame

Cons:

• Not the best low-end response 

Best for: High-quality bargain

Pricing: $79.00

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x has become a standard set of headphones you can find almost anywhere. They are an affordable high-quality set of headphones from a fantastic company that has delivered time and time again. 

Pros:

• Comes with 3 different cable lengths 
• Folds up into a carrying bag
• Extremely comfortable cushioned ear cups

Cons:

• The only metal is in the band across the head

Best for: Portability

Pricing: $149

AKG K92

If the middle of the road is where you land, the AKG K92 is the right choice for you. They work well for the short term and are easy-to-afford headphones. If you have a lot of people needing headphones for each recording session and you want to have that uniform feel, the K92 will fill that slot without breaking the bank. 

Pros:

• Low price
• Comfortable feel
• Interchangeable cables

Cons:

• Cheap build quality 

Best For: Bulk headphone purchases

Pricing: $59.00

If you are an audiophile and want the absolute best for everything you do, the Neumann NDH20 is what you have been looking for. These monsters are some of the best headphones, period. Whether you are working on a podcast or listening to an orchestra, you will hear a clear and accurate presence as you have never heard before. 

Pros:

• One of the best headphones in existence
• Interchangeable cables
• Comes with a carrying bag

Cons:

• Fairly expensive for beginners

Best for: Experienced and serious podcasters

Pricing: $499.00

Listen with Intention

When you are listening to your own podcast for editing, you can listen through to make sure you hear the words and make sure it is intelligible, but make sure to listen for the details. If you want your voice and the voices of your guests to sound a certain way, listen for how you can make it this way.

You don’t have to be an expert in audio to be able to recognize when something sounds right. Just listen to the podcast that you want yours to sound like and imitate that. Make sure to listen through the headphones you edit with so you have an even more accurate representation when editing yours.